Implantable medical devices (e.g., expandable stents) may be designed to provide a fluid pathway for digested material, blood, or other fluid to flow therethrough following a medical procedure. Some medical devices may include radially or self-expanding stents which may be implanted transluminally via an endoscope. Additionally, some stents may be implanted in a variety of body lumens such as the esophageal tract, the gastrointestinal tract (including the intestine, stomach and the colon), tracheobronchial tract, urinary tract, biliary tract, vascular system, etc.
In some instances, it may be desirable to design stents to radially reinforce a body lumen at a treatment site while also allowing the body lumen to maintain its functional properties. However, some stents that are designed to include sufficient radial strength to open a body lumen may also tend to migrate along the body lumen due to peristalsis (i.e., the involuntary constriction and relaxation of the muscles of the esophagus, intestine, and colon which push the contents of the canal therethrough). One method to reduce stent migration may include utilizing a support structure in combination with the stent device. For example, in some instances it may be desirable to use a support structure to position the stent within the body lumen (e.g., adjacent to a target site) whereby the support structure allows the stent a degree of maneuverability within the body lumen (e.g., whereby the support structure allows the stent to axially displace along the body lumen to accommodate peristaltic motion).
Therefore, in some instances it may be desirable to design a stent which utilizes a support structure in combination with the stent device. Examples of medical devices including a support structure are disclosed herein.